Overlooked
by N'kala
Summary: Alan's brothers are always picking on him, but what happens when he begins to drift away? Will they realize it in time to save him?
1. Chapter One

Title: Overlooked  
Author: N'kala99  
Disclaimer: They're not mine.  
Summary: Alan's brothers are always picking on him, but what happens when he begins to drift away? Will they realize it and be able to save him in time?  
Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews on my other stories! I have so much fun writing about the Tracy boys that I decided to give it another go. I realize this is a bit outside of canon, but I wanted to explore a different side of Alan. I wanted to try my hand at a serious side of the youngest Tracy, and I really liked writing this conflict. Please bear this in mind as you read. Enjoy! 

**Overlooked**

Chapter One

The halls of Wharton Academy were festively adorned with student work and decorative banners welcoming the families of the boys attending the school. A countless number of men, women, and children of all ages milled about the school, walking around and chatting amicably. Alan Tracy bobbed up on the balls of his feet, straining to see over the heads of the people surrounding him. He searched around for some sight of his father, or one of his brothers. Beside him, Fermat adjusted his glasses.

"Any sign?" he asked Alan.

Alan sighed and sank back to the ground, a frown marring his face. "I can't see _anything_ over these people. They could be two feet away and we'd never know it."

"Let's go wait outside," Fermat suggested. "M-M-Maybe they're w-waiting for us there."

Alan nodded and began to push his way past the throngs, ignoring the dirty looks he was receiving. Fermat stayed close behind, knowing that if he became separated from Alan, he would never find him again.

The sun shone brightly in the flawless blue sky overhead, causing Alan to squint. An impossibly larger number of people were walking around outside, but at least there was more elbow room. Alan glanced back to make sure Fermat had made it outside with him, then continued his search for familiar faces.

"Fermat!"

The boys' heads whipped around as Brains hurried up to them. He looked strange out of his usual lab coat, choosing instead to don a simple leisure suit for the special occasion. He ran up to Fermat and drew his son into a warm hug, then looked at Alan.

"Y-Y-Y-Your dad w-w-was called away on b-business, and your b-b-brothers went with him," Brains told the boy. "H-He said he w-w-was sorry he couldn't make it."

Alan felt a wave of crushing disappointment at the news. He didn't know why he was surprised; his family had yet to make it to a Family Day at his school. Their duties as Thunderbirds always kept them busy. Alan quickly schooled his face into one of understanding.

"That's okay," he told Brains. "New mission?"

Brains quickly looked around, but no one was paying them any attention. "I-I-I really can't say here."

Alan nodded. "Right, sure. Look, I gotta go do some things. Catch you guys later."

"W-W-W-Hold up, Alan," Brains said. "W-Why don't y-y-you and Fermat show me around?"

"Yeah!" Fermat agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

Alan plastered a smile on his face. "That's okay. You two have fun."

He turned and ran through a passing family before either could object. He didn't stop until he had reached the lake on the far side of the campus. It was nearly deserted, which suited Alan just fine. Sighing heavily, he walked out onto the pier and sat on the end, staring into the water.

Usually, Alan would have run to the nearest television to see what his family was up to, but for some reason, this time felt different. He had actually been looking forward to seeing his family here at his school. Sure, his grades weren't outstanding, and he wasn't exactly the favorite student, but since becoming a member of International Rescue over spring break a month before, he had really been trying to turn his behavior around. Several of his teachers had even commented on the change, telling him that he was doing well. Alan had been hoping that his family would come out and see that for themselves, and maybe even be proud of him for it.

"Some day, huh?"

Alan turned sharply, staring hard at the person who had just spoken. A tall and thin young man with dark hair and eyes stood behind him. He didn't look much older than Scott, really. Alan frowned at him.

"Sorry," the young man said, smiling slightly. "Didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to get away from that crowd over there."

Alan's frown softened, but didn't entirely vanish. "Yeah, me too."

"I'm Josh," the young man introduced himself. "I'm here with a friend, visiting his kid brother. Mind if I sit down?"

Alan shrugged and turned his gaze back out over the water.

Josh sank onto the pier beside Alan. "Thanks. I don't do crowds too well; I call it claustrophobia. My buddy calls it something else."

"What's that?" Alan asked, curious despite himself.

"Being a wuss."

Alan let out a laugh. "Sounds like something one of my brothers would say."

Josh joined in the laughter. "One of? How many do you have?"

"Four," Alan replied. "All older."

Josh winced sympathetically. "I only have one. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if there were three more of him. Must be tough sometimes."

"Yeah." Alan kicked his feet, watching his reflection in the water below.

"So, where are they?" Josh asked.

"They got caught up in something," Alan replied cryptically. "They couldn't make it today."

"That sucks," Josh commiserated. He glanced sideways at Alan. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

Alan shrugged again.

They sat in companionable silence for a while longer. Finally, Josh spoke again.

"I have an idea," he said. "I know a place where we can rent go carts, way cheap. Wanna go check it out?"

Alan stared at Josh dubiously. "Why would you want to do something like that? You don't even know me."

Josh shrugged. "I'm bored, and I'm looking for someone to help liven things up with. You interested?"

Alan studied Josh. He knew he had just met the young man, but something deep inside of him craving for attention told him to go for it. Grinning, he nodded.

Josh stood. "So, are you going to tell me your name, or do I get to make one up?"

Alan rolled his eyes. "Alan."

"Well, Alan, let's blow this joint."

* * *

Fermat paced impatiently around the dorm room he shared with Alan, waiting for the youngest Tracy to return from wherever he'd run off to. He had spent a very pleasant visit with his father, attending most of the planned functions for the day, but both knew that it was somewhat tainted by Alan's obvious disappointment. Neither Brains nor Fermat had spoken of it, but both knew that the older Tracys had made a mistake today.

The door opened, and Alan all but bounced inside. His face was flushed with excitement, a huge grin on his face. Fermat stared dumbly at Alan before realizing he had questions.

"A-Alan, what happened to you?" he asked. "Dad and I looked all o-over for you. Where did you go?"

Alan flopped onto his bed. "I met this guy named Josh down at the lake. He and I went to race go carts, then we went to an arcade, then we went and played some basketball with some other kids we just met. It was great."

"Y-You left the campus?" Fermat was stunned. Had Alan really broken the rules to hang out with some kid he had just met?

Reality check: this was Alan. Of course he had.

Alan nodded. "Yeah, and we're meeting up again this weekend to catch a movie."

Fermat frowned, concerned. "Alan . . . are you sure you should be hanging out with this guy? You barely know him."

"He's friends with some brother of a guy who goes here," Alan said dismissively. "I mean, why would someone go out of their way to come all the way out here just to make trouble? It's cool, Fermat."

Fermat didn't have a good argument for Alan's point, so he remained silent as Alan prepared for bed. As they switched off the lights and crawled into their respective beds, Fermat couldn't help but wonder about this stranger who had made such a strong impact on his best friend so quickly.

* * *

Jeff, Scott, Virgil, and Gordon all looked up from their meal as Brains entered the kitchen, having just returned from Wharton Academy. Brains hesitated briefly, then nodded in greeting to the Tracy family.

"Brains," Jeff called welcomingly. "How was Family Day?"

"I-I-It was fun," Brains answered. "F-Fermat and I had a nice time."

Jeff nodded. "Was Alan disappointed?"

Brains' mouth opened and closed several times before he found his voice. "H-He seemed to understand," he said diplomatically.

Jeff steepled his fingers over his plate. "In other words, yes."

Brains nodded. "Y-Y-Yes, sir, M-Mr. Tracy."

Jeff sighed. "I should stop by this weekend. Take him out or something. Make it up to him."

"Come on, Dad, Alan doesn't care," Virgil spoke up. "I mean, Family Day? We haven't been to one yet and he's never made a fuss."

"Besides, what would he have to show us?" Gordon chimed in. "The detention room?"

Jeff gave his boys a stern look, but didn't offer a comment. "I'll give him a call tomorrow. See how he's doing."

Brains nodded his agreement.

* * *

Fermat looked up from his science book as the gentle tone of the videophone filled the silence. Standing from his desk, he moved over and answered. The familiar face of Jeff Tracy filled the screen.

"Hey there, Fermat," Jeff greeted warmly. "Is Alan in?"

"H-H-Hi, Mr. Tracy," Fermat replied. "No, Alan's still with his study group. He should be back in about fifteen minutes, though."

"Study group?" Jeff echoed, confused. "Alan? _My_ Alan?"

Fermat nodded. "He didn't tell you?"

"No, but I haven't really spoken much to Alan this past month," Jeff admitted. "How on earth did Alan decide to join a study group?"

Fermat shrugged. He knew the answer, but he didn't feel comfortable sharing it with his best friend's father.

"Okay, well, tell Alan I called, will you?" Jeff asked.

"Sure thing, Mr. Tracy." He bid the ex-astronaut farewell and severed the connection, then returned to his own studying. He was just getting his deep concentration back when the door burst open, and Alan bounded into the room. He dropped his books onto his bed.

"Hey, Alan," Fermat said. "You're back early."

"Tim and Juan had to leave for another group, and we all decided to quit early," Alan replied, digging through his backpack.

"You just missed your dad," Fermat told him.

Alan paused and looked at his friend, his expression a mixture of confusion and hope. "I did? He was here?"

Fermat nodded at the videophone. "I just hung up five minutes ago. You could call him back."

Alan's expression suddenly became closed off. "He's probably busy right now," he muttered, resuming his search. Finally, he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. Dialing a number, he held it up to his ear.

For a minute, Fermat thought Alan had changed his mind, but then Alan grinned brightly and said, "Josh? It's me. What's up?"

Fermat turned his gaze back to his book, but he continued to eavesdrop on Alan's conversation. He was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable about Alan's new friendship with Josh. He was proud of his friend's sharp improvement at school, and he hoped that Josh wouldn't ruin that progress.

Somehow, though, Fermat had suspicions that something else entirely was at stake.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two 

The end of the school came all too quickly to Fermat. In the last couple of months, Alan had begun to spend more and more time with Josh. He had even been invited on a few of their outings, and Fermat had to admit, Josh was a lot of fun. It was what Fermat imagined a big brother would be like- well, a big brother who liked to hang out with his little brother.

Josh and Alan had hung out every single weekend since Family Day, and had called one another frequently during the week. Their friendship had grown so quickly and strongly that, pretty soon, all Alan would talk about was Josh. The positive part of this was that Alan's daydreaming had all but stopped.

Despite Fermat's concerns, Alan had passed all of his classes with nothing less than a B. It was, by far, the best report card Alan had ever earned, and he had been so proud of it that he had tried to call his father to tell him. Jeff, however, had been out on another mission with his older sons. Fermat had seen the disappointment on Alan's face, and had wanted to help his friend. Alan, however, had brushed it off and had instead called Josh.

The boys were packing their belongings for the summer, anxious to leave and return to Tracy Island for three months of Thunderbird training. Alan was bouncing on the balls of his feet; Jeff himself was coming to pick them up, and Alan was burning to tell his father about his grades.

Alan's phone rang, and he answered it. Fermat watched out of the corner of his eye as Alan greeted Josh and paused in his packing.

"Yeah, we're leaving in half an hour," Alan was saying. "Too bad we won't get a chance to hang out this summer, but I can still call you." A pause. "I live kind of far away . . . well, if I'm closer by, I'm definitely calling you up to meet. We still have that rematch on the courts."

A knock sounded on the door. Fermat moved to answer it, allowing Alan to finish his conversation and hang up.

He opened the door, and almost instantly felt dread settle in his stomach. "Uh . . . hi Parker."

"That's not usually the greeting I receive, but hello," Parker replied. "Are you and young Master Tracy ready to go?"

"Just about, yeah." Fermat looked around behind Parker, hoping to catch some sign of Jeff Tracy.

The door suddenly swung wide open, and Alan's excited voice called out, "All set, D-." He stopped, the smile falling from his face. "Parker? Where's Dad?"

"He was unexpectedly detained, sir," Parker told him. "If you boys are all set, we can be on our way."

Alan nodded, carefully schooling his features into a blank expression. Wordlessly, he lifted his bags and followed Parker down the hall and out to the car.

Alan didn't say a single word the entire trip back to Tracy Island. Fermat felt bad for his friend, but could find nothing to say to make him feel any better. Parker, if he noticed, refrained from comment.

The island was nearly deserted when they arrived; Alan and Fermat knew that Tin Tin had gone with her parents to Malaysia for the summer. Brains was most likely busy monitoring the mission from the lab as the Thunderbirds relayed information to one another. Parker followed the boys up to the house, still not giving any information on the mission the Thunderbirds had been called out on.

Fermat tried half-heartedly to draw Alan out into a conversation, but Alan ignored him. Tossing his bags into his room, he slammed his door shut and took off down the hall.

* * *

Alan ran down to the water and continued down the beach, running until his home was out of sight. Anger and hurt fueled him, pushing him deeper into the island and into the jungle. He wanted to lash out- to yell, to hit something. Why did his family always push him off to the side?

Alan slowed and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He knew how important the Thunderbirds were to his father- it had been his dream to set up International Rescue and save people around the world. Jeff Tracy had spent most of his life trying to make his dream into a reality, then trying to preserve that reality.

But what about Alan?

Alan knew that was unfair of him, but he couldn't help feeling as though he was being pushed off to the side a little too much. Was it so much to ask that his family take an interest in him every once and awhile? He wasn't asking for much. Alan honestly couldn't remember the last time he had had a real conversation with his father or brothers. Any discussion usually involved Thunderbirds missions or specs, or relentlessly teasing Alan about his poor grades and wild behavior.

Alan picked up a rock and threw it into the jungle, then sank onto a nearby log. His thoughts switched over to Josh, and he began to feel slightly better. At least someone thought he was worth spending time with. He knew his father wouldn't like it, but he was going to find a way back to the mainland to hang out with Josh. If his family couldn't be bothered with him, he'd just stay with someone who actually wanted him around.

A sudden crack of thunder echoed over the island, and a blue blur passed overhead. Alan watched as Thunderbird One circled the island and slowed as it approached the hangar beneath the pool. With Scott already back, Alan knew that Jeff and the others weren't too far behind. Sure enough, ten minutes later, the large green ship known as Thunderbird Two appeared overhead.

Alan settled more comfortably on his log after retrieving several more rocks. His family hadn't been in any big hurry to see him; he decided to hang out in the jungle a little while longer. Maybe he could come up with a plan to sneak back to the mainland while he waited.

* * *

"Alan?" Jeff entered his house through the hangar, glancing around for his youngest son. He knew Alan would be back from school by now, and was a little confused. Usually, Alan was waiting right at the entrance to the hangar for his family to appear, blue eyes bright with excitement.

Gordon suddenly shot past Jeff, with Virgil and Scott hot on his heels. Jeff smiled and shook his head, not sure he wanted to know what his boys were up to. He headed through the house, poking his head through doors and calling for Alan.

He found Brains and Fermat in the lab and nodded. "Hi, guys, have you seen Alan?"

Brains shook his head, but Fermat spoke up. "He dropped off his bags and left the house, M-Mr. Tracy."

Jeff's brow furrowed. "He left? Where did he go?"

Fermat shrugged. "I didn't see which way he went."

Jeff nodded again, thoughtful this time. "Thanks, Fermat."

He turned and headed outside toward the pool. He hadn't spoken to Alan for a while, and a part of him felt guilty about that. He knew he'd been neglecting Alan, but the Thunderbirds had had a strong increase in missions lately.

He had been hoping Alan would be nearby when he returned from their mission. John was due to return from Thunderbird Five soon. Brains and Fermat would be going up there for a while to finish some modifications, and Brains had offered to take the next rotation so that the Tracys could spend some time together. Jeff had been grateful, and had wholeheartedly accepted the offer. Brains and Fermat were to leave in about an hour, and Jeff had intended to let Alan accompany them and return with John, giving him a chance to experience Thunderbird Three's operations. If he didn't return from wherever he'd run off to, then he would miss out.

Jeff headed back into the house and made his way to his office. Whether or not Alan would return, he still had preparations of his own to make.

* * *

Alan swept aside a low branch and continued up the side of the mountain. He had only been this way once, when he, Fermat, and Tin Tin had been running from the Hood. He hadn't had a chance to really explore the area, but now he was making the time. If he could reach the communications tower, he would be able to find a signal on his cell to contact Josh.

A low rumble sounded in the distance as Alan emerged from the cover of the jungle, and he looked in the direction of his home. The rumble grew louder, and the distinctive red nose of Thunderbird Three appeared. Alan frowned, confused, then shrugged it off. It was probably another supply run to Thunderbird Five. His thoughts turned to John. He had hardly seen his brother since Thunderbird Five had been constructed. Between Alan being away at school and John being in space, the two rarely spoke.

The youngest Tracy ascended higher up the mountain, then took out his phone. He tried to dial Josh's number, then cursed when he saw that his battery was low. He hadn't remembered to charge it the night before. Sighing, Alan pocketed his phone. Casting one more glance up towards the communications tower, he turned and headed back in the direction of his house.

Alan managed to make it all the way back into the house and was almost to the room he shared with Gordon before being spotted. Virgil and Gordon were coming from the other direction, and the instant they saw their younger brother, they picked up their pace.

"Hey, Sprout!" Virgil and Gordon descended on the teen, grabbing him and ruffling his hair relentlessly. "Where you been? We've been looking all over for you!"

Alan retreated and narrowed his eyes at his brothers in suspicion. "Why?"

"Why?" Gordon echoed. "Do we need a reason?"

Alan merely waited.

"We haven't seen you in a while," Virgil stated. "Usually you're hanging around underfoot, asking all sorts of questions about our missions."

Alan knew it was meant lightly, but he couldn't help but feel insulted. "Sorry I wasn't there to feed into your egos, but I had things to do. Excuse me."

"Uh oh, look out," Gordon called as Alan pushed past them and continued to his room. "It's another Alan tantrum!"

Alan ignored him and went into his room, slamming the door behind him. He dug through his bags and removed his charger, then plugged his phone into the wall. As soon as his phone began to charge, he flopped onto his bed and glared up at the ceiling.

* * *

Jeff exited his study in time to nearly be run down by Gordon and Virgil. With lightning quick reflexes, he snagged Gordon's collar, effectively halting his son.

"Gordon, have you seen Alan?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dad, lots of times," Gordon replied cheekily.

"That's good to know," Jeff said patiently. "How about today?"

"Oh sure, today, too," Gordon answered.

Jeff waited. When no answer was forthcoming, he raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"He's in our room, but watch out," Gordon replied. "He's having another tantrum. I bet he flunked science again."

Jeff gave Gordon a warning look, but released him. As Gordon skittered away, Jeff made his way back in the direction of Alan's room.

There was no answer to his knock, so Jeff opened the door. He saw Alan sitting at his desk, his back to the door, and decided to simple observe his youngest child for a moment.

Alan hadn't seemed to have changed too much over the last few months, from what Jeff could see. But there was a tension in his shoulders that was new. As he puzzled as to the source, Jeff cleared his throat.

"Hey, son, glad to be home?" he asked.

Alan glanced back at his father, a blank look on his face. "Yeah, sure."

Jeff became instantly confused. Alan had always been excited to see him, welcoming him with a warm hug at each reunion. This was a very different boy who had returned from school, and Jeff wasn't too sure that he liked this boy.

"Something wrong?" Jeff asked, moving deeper into the room.

"No, everything's perfect," Alan replied blandly. "How was the mission?"

"Same old, same old," Jeff answered, sitting on Alan's bed. "You excited to begin training? You've wanted to be a Thunderbird for so long. I bet you can't wait to start."

Alan's phone interrupted whatever Alan had been about to say. Alan snagged his phone and checked the caller ID, a grin spreading across his face. He held it to his ear. "Josh? Hey, man, how's it going?"

Jeff frowned, confused. He didn't remember Alan ever mentioning a boy named Josh before. He watched his son speak, listening to his half of the conversation until they finished. Alan switched his phone off, set it aside, then turned back to his father.

"Look, Dad, could you excuse me?" he asked. "I've got some stuff I need to take care of."

"Sure, son," Jeff replied, confused. He stood. "Who's Josh?"

"Josh?" Alan echoed.

Jeff inwardly rolled his eyes. Were his boys this difficult on purpose? "Josh? The person you just spoke to on the phone not two seconds ago?"

"Oh, Josh!" Alan replied. "Yeah, he's this guy I met a couple months ago at school. We started hanging out. He's really cool."

"Glad to hear you've made more friends at school," Jeff told him. "Look, I'll let you be, but dinner's served in an hour. John's going to be home, and I'd like us all to sit down to a family dinner, all right?"

"Sure, Dad," Alan agreed, turning his back to Jeff once more.

Jeff stared at his son for a moment longer, then left.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three 

John entered his home and paused just inside the doorway, his senses on alert. It always felt good to return home from space for a while; he enjoyed the time he received with his family very much. But no amount of time on Thunderbird Five would make him forget the welcome waiting for him each and every time he set foot back on Tracy Island. Sharp, suspicious blue eyes examined his surroundings carefully.

Scott bounded into the room, grinning broadly. "Hey, little brother, long time no see!"

John rolled his eyes. Being the second eldest, he rarely got hassled as much as their other younger brothers, but Scott saw fit every now and then to remind John who the oldest was. "Hey, Scott, where's Gordon? And Alan?"

"What, scared?" Scott teased. "Alan's off sulking about something. I don't know where Gordon is."

John, deciding he would rather have Gordon's inevitable prank over with than stand around waiting for it to happen, continued on towards his bedroom. "Alan's sulking? What about this time?"

Scott shrugged, falling into step beside John. "Who knows? We haven't really heard much from him since Spring break. He probably got another bad report, or maybe he's upset that we're going on all these missions and leaving him behind."

John reached the door to his bedroom and paused. Setting his bag down, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

Several loud thuds and clangs could be heard coming from inside the bedroom, followed by a splash of some kind of liquid. Several white feathers drifted into the hallway. Scott turned to John, mildly impressed.

"Either Gordon's getting lazy, or you're getting better at spotting his pranks," he commented.

John grinned cheekily. "Just gotta know how the little twerp's mind works. And if he's as predictable as I think he is, he should be coming out of his room right about . . . . . . . now."

As if on cue, Gordon's door opened and the brother in question emerged into the hall, a wide grin threatening to split his face. The smile froze when he saw both of his older brothers watching him expectantly. Before he could turn and run, John darted out and grabbed Gordon's arm in a tight grip and pushed him into the room.

"Gordon!" John exclaimed. "You're just in time to clean my room! Thanks so much for volunteering."

He shoved Gordon into the room, then shut the door. Scott retrieved a chair from the dining room, which John used to prop against the doorknob. The door shuddered as Gordon tried to get out, but didn't open.

John grinned at Scott. "I think he'll be busy for awhile. Let's go say hi to the others."

They found Jeff and Virgil easily, both welcoming John warmly. John frowned, concerned, at his father.

"I thought Alan was going to come up on Thunderbird Three to get me," he stated. "What happened?"

Jeff sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I tried to talk with him earlier, but he didn't really say much. I'm hoping that he'll snap out of whatever it is by tomorrow. It'll be hard enough to start Alan's training at his age; the last thing I need is a teenager who's preoccupied on top of everything else."

"It's probably nothing," John stated reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry too much. This _is_ Alan, after all. How long could something keep him down, anyway?"

* * *

The next week and a half passed by in a blur for Alan. Excited though he was to start his training as a Thunderbird, he still couldn't rid himself of the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that his family just didn't care about him.

Not that his brothers made it any easier on him. Training with Scott, Alan had to endure his eldest brother's harsh criticisms at his poor performance. Alan knew the systems and the ships of International Rescue by heart, but it wasn't enough. Scott constantly nitpicked Alan's actions, scoffed at most of his questions, and ended each session in frustration. Even Alan's love of being a Thunderbird was barely enough to keep him from simply giving up.

Gordon tried to teach Alan about the more intricate functions of Thunderbird Four and navigation through different conditions underwater, but he did so under the guise that Alan was simply too young and immature to really be able to learn what he needed. Alan usually worked well with Gordon, but with Gordon not really taking him seriously, Alan wasn't sure he was doing the right thing.

Jeff and Virgil were both patient and encouraging, but Alan found that he liked working with John the best. John never lost his temper, never treated him as though he were too stupid to learn, and even encouraged asking questions about anything he was unsure of. It was almost worth it to endure the rest of the family's shortcomings to work with John.

Whenever they weren't training, however, Scott, Virgil, and Gordon constantly needled Alan about his poor school performance and his tendency to attract trouble. Alan took it all in stride as usual, but it wasn't until the brothers were all enjoying a beautiful summer day by the pool that their words finally pushed Alan over the edge.

John was reading a book by the side of the pool, ignoring Gordon and Virgil splashing around noisily in the water. Scott sat on the edge, his legs dangling in the cool, refreshing water, grinning widely at his younger brothers' antics. Alan backed away from the pool, took off at a run, and hit the water with a resounding splash, drenching his brothers. He surfaced with a grin, only to have Gordon and Virgil push him back under the water again.

"Alan!"

Five pairs of eyes turned to see Jeff walking towards the pool, a pile of mail clutched in one hand. Gordon and Virgil backed away, allowing Alan to resurface.

"Hi, Dad," Alan said brightly. "You bellowed?"

Jeff ignored the jibe, a slight frown marring his face. "Your report card hasn't come in the mail yet, has it?"

Alan's brow furrowed slightly. "Ah, no, I don't think so. Why?"

"Just checking," Jeff assured him, turning around and heading back inside.

Gordon lightly splashed Alan. "So, did it?"

Alan turned and looked at him, confused. "What, you going deaf?"

"Come on, Alan, it should have been here by now," Virgil chimed in. "What's the matter? Afraid Dad's gonna see your bad grades and pull you from your training?"

Alan flushed with anger. "What makes you so sure I got bad grades?"

Scott scoffed from the side of the pool. "Come on, Sprout, get real. You've gotten bad report cards every year since you were seven. Listen, hiding them from Dad isn't going to help. You should just come clean with him."

Alan felt anger and hurt build within him. "I'm telling the truth! My report card hasn't come in yet! And for your information, I passed all my classes!"

To his further ire, Scott, Virgil, and Gordon all began sniggering. John, unnoticed, lowered his book to watch the display with interest.

Alan sent a final wave of water over Gordon and Virgil, then climbed out of the pool. Grabbing his towel, he stormed into the house. As soon as he had gone, John set his book down and straightened in his chair.

"That wasn't very nice, guys," he said. "What if he was telling the truth?"

"Please, John," Gordon replied. "You know Alan. He's probably flunked some subject and doesn't want to admit that we're right."

"I just hope he owns up before Dad finds out on his own," Scott added.

John shook his head and, standing, followed Alan into the house. He ignored the splashing and laughter that had resumed. He had seen the look on Alan's face, and he knew that his youngest brother needed an ally right about now.

He entered the house in time to hear a door slam in the distance, and he headed straight for the room Alan and Gordon shared. John lifted a hand to knock on the door, but the sound of Alan's voice caused him to pause. Frowning in confusion, he opened Alan's door a crack and listened.

" . . . so mad, you know?" John could picture Alan running a frustrated hand through blond hair. "I mean, I busted my butt this semester to prove to my brothers that I could work just as hard as them, and they don't even believe me!"

Silence ensued. John risked a peek inside and spied Alan standing, staring out the window with his back to John. A cell phone was pressed to Alan's ear.

"Yeah, I know," Alan continued. "You're right, but that doesn't make it any easier. You know what? I'm going to go after all. My family's made it perfectly clear what they think of me. I'd rather hang out with someone who actually wants to, you know? I'll meet you there today at three, all right?"

Alan listened for a minute more, then hung up his phone. John quickly withdrew and shut the door, a frown marring his features. Questions filled his mind: who had Alan been talking to? His only friend was Fermat, and he was up in Thunderbird Five. Where was Alan going? What had been going on at Alan's school this past semester? The questions chased themselves around his head, but John knew that simply confronting Alan would not get them answered. He supposed he could ask Jeff for some insight, but Jeff seemed to be no more aware of Alan's troubles than anyone else. Asking their brothers was out of the question. The display at the pool was enough to convince John of that.

John retreated to his bedroom and changed into some street clothes. Carefully affixing his watch/communicator to his wrist and checking his wallet and cell phone, he jotted down a note to tell his family what he was doing. He knew that if he wanted to help Alan, then he would have to tail the teenager himself.

He had just finished scribbling his note to his father when he heard the door to Alan's room close again. Quickly folding the paper in half and jotting down his father's name, John straightened and hurried to his door, checking to make sure Alan was not in the hall.

Alan's eyes were darting all around, hunting for some sign of life as he made his way down to the dock where several motorboats were moored. Despite the situation, John smiled wryly. Alan would need lessons on how to check for tails properly once this whole ordeal was straightened out. 

As Alan prepared one of the boats for launch, John ducked behind the boathouse and waited until the sound of the motorboat had faded away. Once the coast was clear, John hopped into another boat and immediately set out after Alan. The further away they drew from Tracy Island, the uneasier John became. He hoped that Alan's actions amounted to nothing more than a teenager needing to blow off some steam.

Somehow, John didn't feel that he would be so lucky.

* * *

"Alan! John! Dinner!"

Gordon bounded down the hall, his hair still damp from that day's activities in the pool. He opened the door to his and Alan's room.

"Alan, quit sulking and-." He stopped when he saw that the room was empty. Frowning slightly in confusion, Gordon turned and headed instead for John's room.

"Hey, John, do you know where-." He cut himself off again when he saw that John's room, too, held no occupants. A note sitting on John's dresser drew Gordon's eyes, and he reached over and lifted it. Ignoring his father's name on the front, he unfolded it and quickly scanned its contents. He had barely finished when he turned and ran back downstairs.

"Dad, they're gone!" he cried, waving John's note in the air.

Scott and Virgil froze in place, but Jeff crossed to Gordon's side and snatched the note from his son's hand. "What?"

"Where did they go?" Virgil demanded as Jeff's brown eyes skimmed the note.

"Apparently, Alan went to go meet somebody, and John decided to follow him," Gordon told Virgil and Scott. "But who would Alan go see? Tin Tin's too far away, and Fermat's up in space. Alan doesn't have any other friends."

"Why would he just take off?" Scott wondered.

"He can tell us that when we see him," Jeff decided firmly, his jaw set.

"Are we going out to look for them?" Virgil asked.

Jeff stared blankly at the letter in his hand before reaching his decision. "Alan's reckless, but if John's watching him, he should be okay. I'll give them two hours, and then we're going after them."

The boys involuntarily shuddered at the steel in their father's tone. None of them envied Alan or John when they returned.

* * *

Alan hurried across a busy intersection, completely oblivious to his older brother's watchful eyes tracking his every movement. He grinned widely at the familiar figure waiting for him by the fence that enclosed a basketball court and headed straight for him.

John's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he studied the young man that Alan struck up a lively conversation with. He didn't look too old; probably around his or Scott's age. Where had Alan met him?

The young man slung an arm around Alan's shoulders and began to guide Alan down the street away from the basketball courts. Alan went willingly, though his smile turned slightly confused. John crossed the street and followed the pair at a discreet distance. Glancing quickly at his watch, John pulled out his cell phone and dialed his home number.

It was answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

John raised his eyebrows. "Damn, Scott, are you sitting on the phone?"

"John?" He heard Scott's voice raise incredulously and listened as Scott called out to someone else. "Dad! John's on the phone!"

There was a series of mumbling, then Jeff's voice rang in John's ears. "John? Where the hell are you? Is Alan all right?"

"Alan's fine, Dad," John assured his father. "He met up with some guy, and they're walking down the street now."

The relief was palpable in Jeff's tone, even from a distance. "Listen, John, find some way of getting Alan back over here. I don't know who he could be meeting with, but I'd rather not take any chances."

"All right, Dad, I'll go and get him," John promised. "Talk to you later."

He put his phone away and picked up his pace. Alan and the young man were farther away now, and had just taken a turn around the corner of an abandoned store. John spared the barest of glances around the neighborhood, taking in the decidedly less than friendly atmosphere. The sooner he reached his little brother, the better.

John turned the corner and skidded to a halt. Shock overcame him as he saw a group of five or six men clad in black surround Alan, backing him into the wall. The young man Alan had been with was watching the scene with a look of disinterest on his face.

The temporary paralysis wore off. "Hey!" John yelled. "Get away from him!"

Every eye in the alleyway turned to him. John assumed a defensive stance, preparing to fight the men threatening his brother. Alan's jaw dropped in shock.

The young man drew a gun from under his jacket and aimed it at John. "You just made a very big mistake, man."

Alan shoved past the men surrounding him and ran over to John, placing himself between his brother and the gun. "Josh, no! What are you doing?"

"Step aside, Alan," Josh stated coldly. "I'd rather not have you harmed just yet."

John drew Alan away from the gun and glared at Josh. "What do you want with my brother?"

"Brother?" Josh's face revealed surprise. Glancing at his cohorts, he shrugged. "Maybe this can work to our advantage after all. We'll take them both."

John shoved Alan back the way they had come. "Alan, go! Get out of here! I'll hold them off!"

"No!" Alan protested. "I won't leave you!"

"Alan-," John began to argue, but never got to finish. Three of the men pounced on him, wrestling him to the ground. John twisted around, lashing out with hands and feet, but the men were too strong. As he struggled to free himself, he saw Josh approach with his gun. The last image John had was of the butt of the gun swinging down towards his face.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four 

"I don't like it. They should be back by now. Try John's cell again."

Virgil obediently dialed his older brother's number, but he knew in his heart that the effort was futile. John would never ignore a call, especially when he knew that his family was expecting him home. Neither he nor Alan were answering their cells, and it was nearly eleven at night with no sign from either Tracy.

Jeff was pacing restlessly through his office, his mind obviously elsewhere. Scott, Gordon, and Virgil all watched him silently, feeling worry course through them. They each wanted nothing more than to race out themselves and look for their wayward brothers, but knew that without any sort of clue where to start, they couldn't leave.

Jeff suddenly froze, causing his sons to stare at him in shock. "Dad?" Scott said tentatively.

Jeff hurried to his desk. "I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. God, I'm an idiot." He sent a call to Thunderbird Five, which Brains immediately answered.

"Y-Y-Yes, Mr. Tracy?" he asked.

"Brains, I need to talk to Fermat," Jeff barked.

Brains looked stunned, but started nodding. "A-A-All right, M-Mr. Tracy. He's sleeping. L-Let me go w-w-w-wake him."

"Dad?" Scott tried again as they waited. "What's Fermat got to do with Alan taking off?"

Jeff gestured for him to wait. Fermat appeared, still blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"Mr. Tracy?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Fermat, listen carefully," Jeff said. "I need you to tell me about Alan's friend from school. I think his name is Josh."

"Josh?" Fermat echoed. "Alan met him a few months ago. Why?"

"Alan's gone, and we have reason to believe that he went to go meet with Josh," Jeff answered. "John followed him and was supposed to bring him back, but now they're both missing. Please, tell me everything you know. Who is he?"

Fermat frowned. "He and Alan m-met a few months ago, on Family Day. They had a great time together, and started h-h-hanging out every weekend and calling each other all the time. I hung out with them a couple of times m-myself, b-but something felt weird."

"What?" Jeff demanded.

"I d-d-don't know," Fermat admitted. "I guess he was always way too interested in hanging out with Alan. And he happened to show up when Alan . . ." He trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable with what he had nearly revealed.

"Fermat, it's okay," Jeff assured him. "Tell me."

Fermat suddenly focused onto something in front of him. "W-Well, it seemed to me that Alan found someone who wanted to h-h-hang out with him right when he was feeling . . . when he was feeling that m-m-maybe no one else wanted to. It seemed kind of convenient. But he was never anything more than nice to Alan, so I didn't bring it up."

Fermat had done his best to disguise what he had really meant, but the message had come across to the Tracys loud and clear. Alan had wanted his family to notice him, and when they had ignored him, he had turned to someone else. Scott, Virgil, and Gordon exchanged guilty looks with one another.

"If we had gone to Family Day, we probably wouldn't be in this mess now, would we?" Virgil asked quietly.

"We couldn't have known," Gordon insisted. "Alan's never cared before. I mean, he hates school. Look at his grades. Why would this year be any different?"

"Because he's a Thunderbird now."

The boys turned to their father, who was staring at Fermat. "Fermat, didn't you tell me before that Alan had joined a study group?"

Fermat nodded. "He w-w-wanted to prove to you guys that he could work just as hard, and that he could be a Thunderbird, too. He told me that he got all A's and two Bs on his report card this time. He hasn't told you guys?"

Virgil covered his face as Gordon simply gaped at Fermat in shock. "Alan? _Our Alan_?"

"Look, we can save this discussion for later," Jeff said sharply. "Fermat, do you know anything else about him? Can you describe him?"

As Jeff busied himself with Fermat's description of Josh, the brothers crowded together.

"If Josh wasn't who he claimed to be, then what would he want with Alan?" Scott asked. "Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through unless he wanted something else. What could Alan have that he would want?"

"You don't suppose the Hood is back, do you?" Gordon asked.

Scott shook his head. "This isn't his style. Besides, if he had escaped, we would know about it."

"Maybe this hasn't got anything to do with Alan," Virgil suggested. "Maybe Alan was just the means to an end. This Josh guy spotted Alan, figured he would be easy to manipulate."

"And if we had just paid a little more attention to what was going on with Alan, this would never have happened," Gordon muttered.

"Hey, none of that," Scott said firmly. "We need to find Alan and John first."

"I'm ready when you are," Virgil stated. "Where do we start?"

Jeff severed the connection with Thunderbird Five and joined his sons' huddle. "I'm going to the mainland to talk to the police," he stated. "If we can get their descriptions out, our chances of finding them will increase. Brains and Fermat will be monitoring all calls. Scott, I want you to see if you can retrace John's and Alan's steps. They had to get off this island somehow."

"What about us?" Gordon demanded.

Jeff eyed his two remaining sons. "Wait here. I need you two to see if John or Alan call, and I need you to be able to relay any information from Thunderbird Five our way. But be ready to move if I need you."

The boys all nodded and separated to their tasks.

* * *

John moaned as fingers of pain prodded him into consciousness. His head throbbed mercilessly, keeping him from sinking back into the painless depths of oblivion. Turning his head, he opened his eyes to slits and looked around.

He was in a small room with towers of empty wooden crates. One bare bulb overhead lit the tiny room, casting an eerie glow. John gingerly pulled himself into a sitting position, one hand rubbing his aching skull.

A smaller figure partially hidden in shadows in one corner of the room drew John's eyes, and he crawled over to it. Recognizing his brother's form, he turned Alan over and lifted his upper body into his arms.

"Alan?" John felt Alan's neck for a pulse, then brushed back several of Alan's stray blond locks. As a result, Alan began to stir.

"John?" he mumbled. First one, then two hazy blue eyes appeared. They stared up at John, bemused, before realization flooded back into their depths.

John released Alan as the young teenager fought to stand. He staggered over to the door and tugged on it, then pounded. "Josh! This isn't funny, man!"

John carefully stood, but didn't move any closer to Alan. "Alan, what's going on? Who's Josh, and what does he want with you?"

Alan stopped pounding, but didn't look at his brother. His head bowed, and he leaned heavily against the door. "Josh . . . was my friend. At least, I thought he was."

John watched as Alan turned and slid to the ground, drawing his knees tightly to his chest. "I should've known, though. I mean, who in their right mind would want to hang out with me, anyway? No one ever did before, and like an idiot, I fell for it." He reached up and gripped his hair, his knuckles turning white. "I'm _such_ an _idiot_!"

"What does he want?" John asked gently, not missing the self-deprecating comment Alan had just made. He filed it away for later, when they would be able to really talk about it.

Alan released the stranglehold on his hair and hugged his knees once more. Tears swam behind his eyes, but not a single drop fell. "He said that I was going to be his key to finally scoring big. That I was all he needed to make the rest of his life one sweet ride."

John frowned. It sounded to him as though Josh was talking about a ransom for Alan. It made sense; it even explained why Josh hadn't simply killed him back in the alley.

The elder brother walked over to Alan and sat down beside him. "Well, Sprout, this is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into, but I'm ready to go home. How about you?"

Alan frowned at him in confusion. "What are you talking about? Do you still have your phone?"

John grinned softly at him. "'Course not. But I've got something better." He lifted his wrist and showed Alan his watch.

Alan snorted. "So you know what time it is. Big deal."

John pretended to be offended. "Gee, Alan, I was hoping that I could get one for you, too. They're pretty handy. See, you can tell the time no matter where in the world you are."

"And how does that help us?" Alan asked.

John lifted the faceplate of his watch. "That's just one charming feature of this little beauty. Just watch."

He pushed a button on the side, and almost instantly, an image flared on what Alan could now see was a tiny screen. Gordon and Virgil's faces leaped into view, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Hi, boys," John greeted. "Where's Dad and Scott?"

"Looking for you and talking to the police!" Virgil replied. "Where are you? Is Alan with you? Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," John reassured him. "Get a fix on my watch's tracer, then grab the others and get over here. I don't think we're in any immediate danger, but the sooner the better, you know?"

Gordon and Virgil grinned widely. "FAB, John. Have you two out of there in no time. Out."

Alan looked up at John, eyes wide with shock. "I didn't know you had those! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Brains just finished making them a few weeks ago," John answered. "Dad's got yours somewhere. He probably just forgot to give it to you."

Alan frowned down at his knees. "Yeah, right."

John heard something in Alan's tone and opened his mouth to talk about it when the door they were leaning against began to unlock. John leapt to his feet, dragging Alan back with him, and faced the opening door.

Josh appeared, still holding his gun. "Awake? Good. I have a job for you."

"Forget it," John shot back. "Do your own dirty work. Leave me and my brother out of this."

"That's no way to talk to your brother's best friend," Josh replied smoothly, a feral grin tugging at his lips.

Alan flushed with anger. "You used me!" he cried. "You pretended to be my friend just so you could get what you want!"

Josh's grin widened. "Yeah, I did," he admitted without a hint of remorse. "And I'm about to do it again. Have a seat."

He gestured to a stack of nearby crates with his gun. Worried about Alan keeping his cool, John gently nudged Alan over to the crates and sat down beside him.

"Good," Josh said as another man entered the room. "You keep cooperating, and everything will work out just fine."

The greedy glint in Josh's eyes told John that, somehow, he didn't think so.

* * *

Jeff let out a huff of air in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. He had been arguing with one detective after the other, along with a couple captains and a chief, but no one was willing to take on his sons' case. With no sign of foul play and his boys missing for only half a day, the police were loath to get involved.

His cell phone began to ring. Hoping for good news, Jeff answered it. "Hello?"

"Dad!" Gordon's voice boomed in his ear, causing him to wince. "John just called! He used his watch! He and Alan are okay, but they need our help! That Josh guy has them!"

"Gordon, Gordon, slow down!" Jeff replied. "John called?"

"Yeah!" Virgil's voice sounded next. "Brains and Fermat picked up his watch's signal! They're not too far from where you are! We're suiting up and heading out as soon as we hang up."

"Wait, wait," Jeff said. "Does Scott know? Where exactly are they?"

Jeff looked up as a detective approached him, and he called for his sons to stay quiet. The look on the detective's face was not promising. "Yes?"

"Mr. Tracy, this just came for you." The detective held out a very familiar cell phone. Jeff's heart wrenched in his chest when he realized whose it was. He took it from the detective and thanked him. The detective looked at him closely, but moved away without comment.

"Dad?" Virgil asked. "What is it?"

"Alan's cell phone," Jeff told his son. "It came to the station, but-." He was cut off as Alan's phone began to ring. Seeing John's number on the caller id on the screen, he once again hushed his sons and answered. "Hello? John? Are you okay?"

"He's fine, Mr. Tracy, but he won't be if you don't do exactly as I say."

Jeff tensed at the unfamiliar voice. "Who is this? What have you done with my boys?"

The voice that answered was not one that Jeff expected. "Dad?"

A rush of emotions consumed Jeff, and he fought to find his voice. "Alan? My God, Alan, are you all right? Where are you? Are you hurt? Is John with you?"

"Dad, I'm sorry," Alan replied miserably. "It was Josh, he set me up. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Alan, it's okay, son," Jeff soothed. "It's all right. I'm looking for you right now, we all are. We're going to get you two out of this. Just sit tight, you hear me?"

"Dad, Josh wants me to tell you that . . ." Alan's voice trailed off, and Jeff could hear him arguing with someone in the background. The sound of something hard striking flesh nearly sent him into a frenzy. "Alan? Alan, answer me! Are you all right?"

John's voice took Alan's place. "Alan's okay, Dad. Josh wants you to deposit money for Alan and me into an account that will later be specified. He wants fifty million for Alan, and fifty million for me. He says that once he has all the money, and that no cops are involved in the transfer, he'll let us go."

Jeff swallowed his anger and nodded, though he knew John couldn't see him. "All right, son, just tell me where and I'll do it."

He scribbled the name and number and location of the account on a scrap piece of paper on the desk nearest him, then hung up. Ignoring the questions that several police officers threw his way, Jeff headed out of the precinct house and held his own cell to his ear. "Virgil? You still there?"

"Dad, what happened?" Virgil demanded.

"Never mind that," Jeff ordered. "Call Scott and give him the location of John's locator, then suit up and meet us out there."

"FAB, Dad."

* * *

John kept his arm around Alan's shoulder as he glared up at Josh. Alan was gingerly rubbing his cheek where Josh had struck him with the gun. It had taken every degree of self-control John had not to respond in kind on behalf of his little brother.

Josh closed John's phone, dropped it to the ground, and crushed it under his foot. "Well, we won't be needing that anymore. I'll leave you two to yourselves until my accounts have balanced. Ciao."

As Josh was leaving, Alan surged up as if to attack. John, who knew his brother all too well, held him tightly, not letting him move more than a couple inches. Once the door locked shut, Alan rounded on John, blue eyes blazing in fury.

"You're just going to sit there and do nothing while he drains Dad dry?" he demanded, incredulous.

John surveyed Alan with cool blue eyes. "No, I'm going to sit here and wait for Dad and the others to come get us out. We're unarmed and outnumbered. If we, by some miracle, manage to get out of this room, they'll most likely just shoot us. Dad and the boys know where we are. They'll be here soon. I promise."

Alan began to pace in the cramped room, energy pouring off of him in waves. "He can't get away with this, John! We can't let him!"

"He won't." Alan paused and turned to look at the uncharacteristically dangerous glint in his older brother's eyes. John was remembering Josh's mistreatment of Alan, both physically and emotionally, and had vowed to himself that he would find some way to make Josh pay for what he had done. He looked at his brother with fierce determination. "We'll get our chance. You just have to wait for it."

Alan studied John closely, then settled back on the crate beside him. "I'm not really good at waiting, John."

John allowed a wry grin to spread on his face. "I know, Sprout, I know. But hey; now's as good a time as any to start learning, right?"


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five 

"C'mon . . . _faster_! Where are you?"

Scott was pacing impatiently just behind a gas station just blocks away from where Virgil had told him John and Alan were located. Rather than go charging in on his own, Jeff had ordered him to wait for the rest of the team to arrive. That had been twenty minutes ago, and Scott was getting more and more impatient with each climbing moment.

A tall, dark figure approached Scott from the shadows, and the eldest Tracy tensed. He knew he was in a bad neighborhood, but he honestly didn't think anyone would give him any trouble if he minded his own business.

"Scott?"

Scott let out a sigh of relief. "Dad! About time! Where're the others?"

"We're here."

Gordon and Virgil appeared from the other side of the gas station, eyes blazing with raw energy. They gathered together away from prying eyes, looking to Jeff for the next course of action.

"Do we know how many we're dealing with?" he asked.

Scott nodded. "I scouted the building where Virgil said John's locator was, and according to our heat sensors, there are about eight people in there. If we count two of them as Alan and John, that leaves six we have to deal with."

"Location?" Gordon asked.

"Two are located on the first floor in the back of the building, two more towards the front, and the rest are moving up and down the stairs," Scott replied.

"How do you want to handle this?" Virgil asked Jeff.

"With just the four of us and Alan and John potentially at risk, I say we do it quick and quiet," Jeff replied. "We'll split into teams. Scott, you and Gordon take the front and take care of anybody you find. Virgil and I will take the back door. Whoever finds them first, get them out and call the other team. We'll have the cops handle the rest of them. Got it?"

"FAB," the boys replied.

* * *

John watched Alan pace restlessly back and forth in front of him, a slight smile on his face. Despite the severity of the situation, he had to laugh. Alan was never very good at being cooped up, and watching him now was almost like watching a wild animal in a cage at the zoo. John was trying to calculate how much longer it would take before Alan went completely insane when his brother turned and caught John's smirk.

"What?" he demanded.

"What?" John echoed.

Alan scowled at him. "You're laughing. What's so funny?"

"I'm not laughing," John pointed out.

"You are too!" Alan argued. "We're stuck in here, waiting for Josh to steal all of Dad's money, and you're smiling. What's so funny?"

John rolled his eyes. "You."

Alan paused, clearly surprised at the answer. He stared at John for a moment, then planted himself on a crate opposite him. Folding his arms, he said, "I didn't realize I was amusing you so much."

The warning bells were clanging in John's head. "Come on, Alan, would you rather I mope and pout and throw a tantrum? Like you?"

The minute he said it, John knew he had made a mistake. He desperately wished he could call his words back as the dark cloud passed over Alan's face, leaving behind a look of complete indifference.

"Alan, look, I didn't mean-," John tried.

Alan cut him off with a shrug. "Whatever. When you're right, you're right, you know?"

John straightened on his crate. "No, Alan, I'm wrong, and I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Alan asked. "I am the wild one, right? I always throw tantrums when something goes my way. What's so different about now?"

John rubbed his face in frustration. "Alan-."

Alan wasn't finished. "You know, I always thought that when I finally became a Thunderbird, you guys would respect me. I thought that you would finally take me seriously, and not treat me like a little kid. But you know what this summer has taught me so far?"

"What?" John asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"It's taught me that no matter what I decide to do, you will never stop treating me like a baby," Alan shot back. "If training this summer is any indication of what's in store for me, then maybe I don't want to be a Thunderbird anymore."

John's jaw dropped in shock. "Alan, no, you don't mean that."

"Yeah, I do, John," Alan replied quietly. He looked down at his lap. "You don't know what it's like. I thought if I could just hang on, then it would be okay. I thought that maybe you believed enough in me, and that that would be enough for me to make it through this summer. But you're just like them. You, and Scott, and Dad and Gordon and Virgil . . . none of you think I can do this. You don't think I'm cut out to be a Thunderbird. Maybe . . . . maybe you're right."

John stood and moved over to where Alan was sitting. He gripped Alan's arms tightly and forced his brother to meet his eyes. "Alan, you're wrong. Yes, I know we give you a hard time because you're the youngest, and you do have to admit that you can act very much like a little kid from time to time."

John watched the play of emotions in Alan's eyes, and became encouraged when he saw hope emerge.

"You need to understand something, though, Alan," John pressed on. "Yes, you're the youngest, and because of that we all feel very protective of you." At Alan's eye roll, he said, "Yes, even Gordon, too. We just don't want you to get hurt. Every single one of us had to go through something similar when we first joined International Rescue. God, when Gordon became old enough . . . you don't know this, but Scott raised all sorts of arguments against him joining. He felt Gordon was too immature, and that he would put the entire organization at risk."

Alan allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "Yeah, I could see that happening."

John returned the grin. "You see? But now, Scott will tell you what an asset to the team Gordon is. And he'll do the same for you. You just have to keep trying, and show them, show us, what you're capable of."

Alan nodded, eyes downcast. John released Alan's arms and draped an arm around Alan's shoulders.

"What do you say?" John asked gently. "Stick with it?"

Alan was stopped from answering by the sound of the door to their cell unlocking. Both brothers jumped to their feet, prepared for whatever awaited them on the other side.

* * *

Virgil followed his father around the back of the dilapidated three-story house, casting a wary glance around for anyone who might spot them. Several people wandered the streets even at this late hour, though Virgil doubted their reasons were legal. Fortunately for them, no one seemed to notice the Tracys, and if they did, they didn't pay the newcomers any mind.

Jeff crept around the overgrown foliage, careful not to make a sound. His senses were on alert, his mind completely focused on his surroundings. Virgil did his best to match his father step for step, stopping only when he did outside the back door.

"Ready?" Jeff whispered to his son.

Virgil nodded.

Turning back to the door, Jeff hunched down over the knob. Within seconds, the door was unlocked and Jeff was pushing it open. Shaking his head in awe, Virgil stepped into the silent house after his father.

The noise of a television drifted down the stairs, not quite loud enough to mask the sound of voices conversing. Virgil couldn't make out the conversation, but he was able to discern three distinct voices engaged in a heated discussion. He locked the information away in his mind and turned his attention to the doors that lined the hallway.

Jeff beckoned Virgil past the first few doors. Virgil looked at the doors, wanting to check, but obeyed his father. The two slipped silently down the hall and turned a corner, coming across an empty kitchen. Passing through it, they crossed through what used to be a den, then entered another corridor. At the end of this hall, they found a door locked with a padlock.

Virgil felt a flutter of excitement in his gut, and saw his eagerness reflected in his father's eyes. While Jeff worked on the padlock, Virgil turned and kept watch for any sign of his brothers' captors.

Jeff unlocked the padlock and impatiently pulled it away from the door, dropping it to the ground. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and looked around.

"_Dad_!"

Jeff suddenly found his arms filled with a relieved teenager. He returned Alan's hug fiercely and looked over his youngest to see John walking calmly up to him. "Hey, Dad. What kept you guys?"

Jeff smiled wryly. "I think discussions can wait for later. Let's get you two out of here."

"Amen to that." John passed Jeff and welcomed a brief hug from Virgil.

Jeff gently pushed Alan out into the hall, then shut the door and put the padlock back in place. At Alan's confused look, he explained, "To give us a few more minutes. Come on, let's go."

Jeff took the lead, followed by Alan. Virgil and John took the rear, looking around for any threats. As they moved, Virgil held his watch to his mouth.

"Scott, Gordon," he whispered. "We got 'em. Meet you back at the gas station."

"FAB," came Scott's hushed voice.

Jeff had just entered the kitchen when a gunshot echoed in the house, sending all four Tracys to the floor. Jeff tried to get his sons into the hallway and out of the line of fire, but a second gunshot sent pieces of plaster raining down on them from the wall.

Josh stood behind them, his gun still smoking as it trained on them. "Going somewhere?"


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six 

Jeff slowly stood and moved closer to Josh, putting himself between his sons and the gun. "Take it easy. We don't want any trouble."

"On the contrary," Josh replied. "You come into my house and take my hostages. That's just _begging_ for trouble."

Overhead came the sounds of people scrambling. The gunshots had alerted the rest of the house's occupants to trouble, and any minute now they would be downstairs. Jeff had to get his sons out of there, now.

"I've told the police where we are," Jeff tried. "They'll be here any minute."

"Then I guess I'd better just kill you all now and get out of here before they arrive, huh?" Josh replied.

The distraction had been enough. While Josh was busy looking at Jeff, John was able to edge closer to the two unnoticed. As soon as he was able, he kicked out at the hand that held the gun.

Josh let out a cry of surprise, his gun firing into the ceiling. Jeff darted forward and grabbed the gun, pointing it up as John also wrestled for control of the weapon. While they were distracted, Virgil grabbed Alan and pulled him away from the fight.

"Where are you going?" Alan bellowed at his brother. "We have to help!"

"We'll just get in the way!" Virgil shot back, dragging Alan towards the door. "We've got to clear their escape so we can all get out of here!"

Alan clearly didn't like the idea of leaving his father and older brother alone with Josh, but he stopped resisting Virgil.

An unidentified figure stepped out of one of the doors near the exit and paused, confused upon seeing Virgil and Alan. The Tracys took advantage of the surprise and immediately attacked. Alan threw a fierce punch at the man's face, connecting with a satisfying crunch even as Virgil swept the man's legs out from under him. The man's head struck the ground hard, and he lay still.

They didn't have time to admire their handiwork as a third shot echoed throughout the house. Alan turned back as if to help his father and brother, but Virgil grabbed his arm.

"Come on!" he yelled.

They reached the door just as it flung open. Both boys let out a startled cry and assumed defensive stances, only to find Scott and Gordon looking back at them with identical looks of shock.

"Where's Dad and John?" Scott barked as he and Gordon tugged Alan and Virgil outside.

"Back in the house!" Virgil replied. "We were surprised."

"Gordon, Virgil, Alan, get to the police station and tell them what's going on," Scott ordered. "Wait for us there. We'll be right behind you."

"Scott!" Alan began to protest.

Scott dropped a hand on Alan's shoulder. "Alan, we need the police here. The sooner someone can get to them, the better. We're counting on you."

Alan drew himself up straighter and nodded. "Good luck."

Scott nodded and darted into the house. Virgil took one of Gordon's arms and pushed him away from the house. "Let's go!"

* * *

It took all of five minutes to explain the situation to the police. Gordon and Virgil, in their Thunderbird uniforms, were all that was needed for the police to leap into action. They exited the station and watched with looks of longing as several police cruisers sped back to the house that had held Alan and John, hoping that the rest of their family was all right.

Alan all but fell onto a nearby park bench, his expression a mix of shame and fear. "This is all my fault."

Virgil and Gordon took a seat on either side of him. "What do you mean, Sprout?" Virgil asked.

Alan leaned forward. "Dad and Scott and John could be hurt, or worse, and it's all because I was stupid enough to think Josh was my friend. If anything happens to them..."

Gordon and Virgil exchanged concerned looks over their younger brother's slumped form. "Alan, this isn't your fault," Gordon tried. "If anything, it's ours. If we had known how much our teasing really bothered you, we would have laid off."

Alan and Virgil turned as one to give Gordon a look of skepticism. Gordon shrugged, smiling ruefully.

"Okay, we would have laid off a little," he amended. Sobering, he continued. "Seriously, Alan, you aren't stupid for thinking someone wants to be your friend. You're a pretty fun and interesting guy. And you're entitled to make mistakes. Everyone's allowed every now and then."

"And some more than others," Virgil teased Gordon.

Alan let out a soft laugh.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?"

The three brothers jumped up and whirled around in shock as Jeff, Scott, and John approached them. Grins threatened to split the younger Tracys' faces, and Alan ran forward and hugged his father yet again. The other boys moved forward, greeting each other with relief.

Jeff smiled at all of his sons, loosening his hold on Alan but not releasing him. "What say we all go home?"

The answer was the same, from five different voices. "FAB, Dad."


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue 

Jeff watched from his office window as his sons splashed noisily in the pool. They had spent the last week training furiously, trying to sharpen their own skills and become accustomed to the newest member of International Rescue. While all of his sons acted like a well-oiled machine on missions, introducing someone new always caused a few kinks.

Jeff's eyes softened as they fell on his youngest child. Of all his sons, he had worried the most about Alan. Alan was so headstrong, prone to leaping first and asking questions later. Such an attitude was bound to cause some waves for his older brothers. At times, Jeff despaired if Alan would ever become a true member of the team.

The past week's training put to rest any more thoughts along that line. Alan had worked harder than any of them, as if desperate to prove that he was up to the challenge. He took his brothers' criticisms in stride, no longer lashing out as if offended by some personal slight.

It helped, too, that the older brothers had finally stopped giving Alan such a hard time. An understanding had been reached amongst the five of them, largely due to John. Once his sons realized where they stood with the others, they were able to work together as fluidly as ever. Jeff was more confident than ever that International Rescue was going to be an even larger success than he had imagined.

Jeff had also spoken to Alan in private about his recent behavior at school. He had been deeply impressed with Alan's efforts, seeing him put forth the effort he knew was there. Alan had glowed under the praise, though he tried to brush it off as nothing. Jeff would not be deterred; he knew how difficult it had been for Alan, and he had promised to pay a little more positive attention to Alan and his schoolwork in the future. The very words seemed to lift some dark cloud off of his youngest son, and Alan's attitude around the compound had become much better.

Jeff let out a chuckle as he watched Alan and Scott shove Gordon into the pool, only to come under attack by John and Virgil with water guns. Glancing back at the papers and files piled high on his desk, he left his office to join his sons by the pool.

The world could wait for now.

THE END

Finally! Whew! Sorry it took so long to write. Thanks to all of you for being so patient with me while I finished. ?


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